Explosive table decoration

ABSTRACT

In an explosive table decoration covered with decorative cover which does not enable it to be seen at first glance what it actually is, and containing objects to be distributed and an explosive charge to blow out the decorative cover and the objects in question, a particular method of connection of the actual explosive device and the aforesaid decorative cover.

Inventor Adrien Machet Saint-Denis, France App! No. 810,608

Filed Mar. 26, 1969 Patented May 25, 1971 Assignee Etablissements MACHET Saint-Denis, France Priority Apr. 4, 1968 France 146984 EXPLOSIVE TABLE DECORATION [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 708,237 9/1902 Lloyd 102/37.2 1,667,180 4/1928 Willson 102/372 1,899,518 2/1933 Moore 102/372 Primary Examiner-Robert F. Stahl Attorneys-William D. Hall, Elliott l. Pollock, Fred C. Philpitt,

George Vande Sande, Charles F. Steinger and Robert R. Priddy ABSTRACT: In an explosive table decoration covered with 2 Clams l Drawmg decorative cover which does not enable it to be seen at first U.S.Cl 102/372, glance what it actually is, and containing objects to be dis- 46/199 tributed and an explosive charge to blow out the decorative Int. Cl C06d 1/00 cover and the objects in question, a particular method of con- Field of Search 46/199; nection of the actual explosive device and the aforesaid 102/372 decorative cover.

I? if 1 EXPLOSIVE TABLE DECORATION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a table decoration or centerpiece which contains a small explosive device inside it which, when ignited, causes the decoration to blow up and in doing so distributes small gifts contained inside the decoration to persons sitting around the table. The decoration is in the form of a cover, preferably of plastics material, capable of being placed over the actual explosives device, the inside dimensions of said cover being very much greater than the outside dimensions of the actual bomb in order to permit the passage of the air intended to cancel the vacuum produced on the projection of the decoration.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention there is provided an explosive table decoration comprising an explosive device consisting of a cartridge of explosive material and a container for objects to be distributed, a decorative cover for said explosive device, the inside volume of said cover being considerably greater than the volume of said explosive device, the cover being secured to said explosive device by means of a resilient seal interposed between the outer periphery of said explosive device and the inner surface of said decorative cover, and fuse means for igniting'said explosive material.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the accompanying drawing-there is illustrated diagrammatically and by way of example a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in median longitudinal section with partial elevation, an embodiment of the invention applied to a decoration in the form of an imitation champagne bottle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION In the drawing, 1 designates the explosive device, which is assumed to be cylindrical and which in known manner comprises a sidewall 2, a bottom 3, a gun cotton cartridge-4 provided with a wick 5, and a loose charge of objects to be distributed placed in the space 6 situated above the cartridge, said charge not being illustrated. A ring 7 is fixed around the bottom portion of the explosive device, in the immediate proximity of the base 3, and is pierced by a slot 8 for the passage of the wick 5. Straddled over the ring 7 and the wall 2 there is situated an elastic seal 9 the outside diameter of which is lightly greater than that of the interior of the corresponding portion of adecorative cover 10, which is here assumed to be in the shape of a champagne bottle, which is placed over the explosive device 1. The periphery of the lower end of the cover 10 has a slot 11 for the passage of the wick 5. There is an appreciable clearance 12 between the inside wall of the cover 10 and the outer surface of the wall 2 of the explosive device I.

The actual explosive device I is of known manufacture and the construction thereof does not in itself form an object of the invention. It may be of any suitable material, generally of cardboard, with a base 3 of metal, crimped, glued, or folded to serve as a support (the whole device being for example placed on a table) at the time of firing. The ring 7 is itself also-of cardboard, but it could be of any suitable material, provided that it is sufficiently firmly joined to the bomb. The decorative cover 10 is preferably of very slightly elastic synthetic plastics material so that it can be forced over the assembly comprising the ring 7 and seal 9, as previously described.

The operation of the explosive table decoration according to the invention is immediately clear from the foregoing description. After the ring 7 has been fastened on the wall 2 of the explosive device 1, for example by glueing, the explosive device having previously been provided with its detonator cartridge 4 and its charge in the space 6, the seal 9 of rubber or other material is placed in position. The decorative cover 10 is then forced on, care being taken that the slots 8 an d ll coincide with the wick 5. When the device IS to be used, it IS placed on a table, taking care, as a precaution, to place a sheet of paper or other material between the base 3 and the table and avoiding placing the device in the immediate proximity of fragile objects which could be damaged by the actual explosion or by one of the objects of the charge, or evenby the decoration, and the wick 5 is lit. The detonator cartridge 4 explodes and projects the decorative cover 10 and the contents of the charge in the space 6, as well as any other objects which may be placed in the space 13 between the top face of the explosive device 1 and the inside wall of the decorative cover 10.

If desired, the decorative cover 10 may be made of fairly strong material so that it could be used a number of times; it would then be sufficient to connect a given decorative cover 10 to a refill constituted solely by the explosive device 1 together with the ring 7 and seal 9. As a safety precaution, in order to avoid hangfires, it is advisable to provide two wicks 5 instead of one, as is generally done in known explosive devices.

It should be'understood that the embodiment described and illustrated has been described and illustrated only by way of example and may undergo numerous modifications without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular, although a champagne bottle has been described as the shape of the decorative cover, it would be possible to select any other shape and, by giving the actual explosive device 1 a section other than circular, to form a decorative cover having a section corresponding to that of the actual explosive device with the interposition of the ring 7 and elastic seal 9.

lclaim:

1. An explosive table decoration comprising an explosive device consisting of a cartridge of explosive material and a container for objects to be distributed, a decorative cover for said explosive device, the inside volume of said cover being considerably greater than the volume of said explosive device, the cover being secured to said explosive device by means of a resilient seal interposed between the outer periphery of said explosive device and the inner surface of said decorative cover, and fuse means for igniting said explosive material.

2. The explosive table decoration of claim 1, wherein the outside dimension of said resilient seal is slightly greater than the corresponding inside dimension of said decorative cover. 

1. An explosive table decoration comprising an explosive device consisting of a cartridge of explosive material and a container for objects to be distributed, a decorative cover for said explosive device, the inside volume of said cover being considerably greater than the volume of said explosive device, the cover being secured to said explosive device by means of a resilient seal interposed between the outer periphery of said explosive device and the inner surface of said decorative cover, and fuse means for igniting said explosive material.
 2. The explosive table decoration of claim 1, wherein the outside dimension of said resilient seal is slightly greater than the corresponding inside dimension of said decorative cover. 